I give heartfelt thanks to God for this opportunity to meet and pray
with all of you who have come here representing various Christian communities in
Australia. Grateful for Bishop Forsyth’s and Cardinal Pell’s words of welcome,
I joyfully greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus, the “cornerstone” of the
“household of God” (Eph 2:19-20). I would like to offer a particular
greeting to Cardinal Edward Cassidy, former President of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity, who, due to ill health, could not be with us
today. I recall with gratitude his steadfast dedication to improving mutual
understanding among all Christians, and I would ask all of you to join me in
praying for his speedy recovery.

Australia is a country marked by much ethnic and religious
diversity. Immigrants arrive on the shores of this majestic land hoping to find
happiness and opportunities for employment. Yours, too, is a nation which
recognizes the importance of religious freedom. This is a fundamental right
which, when respected, allows citizens to act upon values which are rooted in
their deepestbeliefs, contributing thus to the well-being of society.In this way, Christians cooperate,together with members of other
religions, for the promotion of human dignity and for fellowship among all
nations.

Australians cherish cordial and frank discussion. This has served the
ecumenical movement well. An example would be the Covenant signed in
2004 by the members of the National Council of Churches in Australia. This
document recognizes a common commitment, sets out goals, and acknowledges points
of convergence without glossing over differences. Such an approach demonstrates
not only the possibility of formulating concrete resolutions for fruitful
cooperation in the present day, but also the need to continue patient discussion
on theological points of difference. May your ongoing deliberations in the
Council of Churches and in other local forums be sustained by what you have
already achieved.

This year we celebrate the two thousandth anniversary of the birth
of Saint Paul, a tireless worker for unity in the early Church. In the
scripture passage we have just heard, Paul reminds us of the tremendous grace we
have received in becoming members of Christ’s body through baptism. This
sacrament, the entryway to the Church and the “bond of unity” for everyone
reborn through it(cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, 22), is accordingly
the point of departure for the entire ecumenical movement. Yet it is not the
final destination. The road of ecumenism ultimately points towards a common
celebration of the Eucharist (cf. Ut Unum Sint, 23-24;
45), which Christ
entrusted to his Apostles as the sacrament of the Church’s unity par
excellence. Although there are still obstacles to be overcome, we can be
sure that a common Eucharist one day would only strengthen our resolve to love
and serve one another in imitation of our Lord: for Jesus’ commandment to “do
this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19) is intrinsically ordered to his
admonition to “wash one another’s feet” (Jn 13:14). For this reason, a
candid dialogue concerning the place of the Eucharist – stimulated by a renewed
and attentive study of scripture, patristic writings, and documents from across
the two millennia of Christian history (cf. Ut Unum Sint, 69-70) – will
undoubtedly help to advance the ecumenical movement and unify our witness to the
world.

Dear friends in Christ, I think you would agree that the ecumenical movement has
reached a critical juncture. To move forward, we must continually ask God to
renew our minds with the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 12:2), who speaks to us
through the scriptures and guides us into all truth (cf. 2 Pet 1:20-21;
Jn 16:13). We must guard against any temptation to view doctrine as
divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate
task of improving the world in which we live. In fact, the history of the
Church demonstrates that praxis isnot only inseparable from, but
actually flows out of didache or teaching.The more closely we
strive for a deeper understanding of the divine mysteries, the more eloquently
our works of charity will speak of God’s bountiful goodness and love towards
all. Saint Augustine expressed the nexus between the gift of understanding and
the virtue of charity when he wrote that the mind returns to God by love (cf.
De Moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae, XII, 21), and that wherever one sees
charity, one sees the Trinity (De Trinitate, 8, 8, 12).

For this reason, ecumenical dialogue advances not only through an exchange of
ideas but by a sharing in mutually enriching gifts (cf. Ut Unum Sint, 28;
57). An “idea” aims at truth; a “gift” expresses love. Both are essential to
dialogue. Opening ourselves to accept spiritual gifts from other Christians
quickens our ability to perceive the light of truth which comes from the Holy
Spirit. Saint Paul teaches that it is within the koinonia of the Church
that we have access to and the means of safeguarding the truth of the Gospel,
for the Church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” with
Jesus himself as the cornerstone (Eph 2:20).

In this light, perhaps we might consider the complementary biblical
images of “body” and “temple” used to describe the Church. By employing the
image of a body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31), Paul draws attention to the organic
unity and diversity that allows the Church to breathe and grow. Equally
significant, however, is the image of a solid, well-structured temple composed
of living stones rising on its sure foundation. Jesus himself brings together
in perfect unity these images of “temple” and “body” (cf. Jn 2:21-22;
Lk 23:45; Rev 21:22).

Every element of the Church’s structure is important, yet all of them would
falter and crumble without the cornerstone who is Christ. As “fellow citizens”
of the “household of God”, Christians must work together to ensure that the
edifice stands strong so that others will be attracted to enter and discover the
abundant treasures of grace within. As we promote Christian values, we must not
neglect to proclaim their source by giving a common witness to Jesus Christ the
Lord. It is he who commissioned the apostles, he whom the prophets preached,
and he whom we offer to the world.

Dear friends, your presence fills me with the ardent hope that as we
pursue together the path to full unity, we will have the courage to give common
witness to Christ. Paul speaks of the importance of the prophets in the early
Church; we too have received a prophetic calling through our baptism. I am
confident that the Spirit will open our eyes to see the gifts of others, our
hearts to receive his power, and our minds to perceive the light of Christ’s
truth. I express heartfelt thanks to all of you for the time, scholarship and
talent which you have invested for the sake of the “one body and one spirit” (Eph
4:4; cf. 1 Cor 12:13) which the Lord willed for his people and for which
he gave his very life. All glory and power be to him for ever and ever. Amen!